1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera and more particularly to an improvement relating to a holding portion for the camera.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional camera of the type including a holding portion is disclosed, for instance, in an official gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 11322/1975. As shown in FIG. 3, the conventional camera is so constructed that both a fore surface 16a and a rear surface 16b of a holding portion 16 adapted to be grasped by the right hand of a photographer 17 are bent forwardly by substantially the same angle .beta. relative to both a fore surface 11b and a rear surface 11c of a camera body 11 the surfaces 11b and 11c extending at a right angle relative to an optical axis of a photographing lens. When a photographer 17 effects photographing with the use of the camera, he supports the rear surface 11c of the camera body 11 or the rear surface 16b of the holding portion 16 by the thumb 17c of his right hand, grasps the holding portion 16 with his fingers while taking a very steady posture, searches for an object to be photographed (not shown) by observing it through a finder 18, and then depresses a release button 15. Because the holding portion 16 of the conventional camera is bent forwardly relative to both the fore surface 11b and the rear surface 11c of the camera body 11, the photographer's middle finger 17a must assume an unnatural inclination relative to the direction of the forefinger 17b. Moreover, he may experience discomfort in his middle finger 17a and forefinger 17b caused by front and side corner parts 11d and 11e of the holding portion 16. The discomfort is worse when the corner parts 11d and 11e of the camera body 11 are substantially square; but when the corner parts 11d and 11e are rounded so as to obviate this problem, the volume of the interior of the camera body 11 is reduced, thus compromising design efficiency.